It was morning in the Rangers' Guild. Erasa woke up early though she didn't get enough sleep throughout the night. She still felt moody. She prepared herself for school and sat down to eat breakfast. It was the last working day of the week, Terra's day. Erasa felt depressed. She couldn't eat much so she decided to leave for school. She knew that Aurora and Darak were always the first students to arrive in school so she decided that if she could get to school early, she'd be able to apologize to Aurora and after that she'd think of a way to apologize to Shin. But she knew it wasn't going to be easy to apologize to Shin after the way she had treated him.
"I'll find a way" she said determinedly as she walked towards Dragon High.
Meanwhile, in the Ayenhayze residence…BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Wake up you lazy drones!" Kyla yelled but Reis and Shin remained asleep. They didn't even budge.
Kyla tried hitting them but nothing worked.
"They might as well be dead! Sheesh! I'm leaving you two behind! Do you hear?!" Kyla yelled as she stormed out of the room.
She set the table for the two boys and packaged their lunch but she left for school and the two boys remained asleep.
Erasa was nearing Dragon High. She could hear exclamations of "HA! HA! HYAAH!" coming from the school compound.
"It's Aurora" she said as she began to feel uneasy.
She walked through the school gate and saw Aurora training with the Twin Saggeesian Sabres. Aurora was trying to perfect a double lateral strike.
"I've never seen Aurora look so serious" Erasa thought to herself.
Aurora had already noticed Erasa's presence but she was angry with Erasa so she ignored her. Erasa walked uncertainly till she was quite close to Aurora.
"HA!" Aurora yelled as she performed a single lateral strike.
"Aurora, we need to talk" Erasa said.
"HA!" Aurora ignored Erasa and continued with her training.
"Aurora, I know you can hear me. Please give me a chance to apologize" Erasa said.
"Why do you want to apologize to someone that's in the way of your happiness?" Aurora said indifferently as she continued practicing her strikes.
"I didn't mean what I said Aurora. You don't know how much I regret saying those things to you" Erasa said sadly.
"You meant it Erasa. It's understandable though but I can't easily forget what you said. And here I was thinking that I was your best friend" Aurora said sadly as she sheathed her blades.
"You are my best friend Aurora! I just don't know what came over me. Maybe I was upset with Shin and I took it out on you but I'm really sorry" Erasa apologized.
"Oh so now it was Shin's fault you said what you said right? I honestly feel sorry for Shin because amongst us all, he's the one you hurt the most!" Aurora yelled angrily.
Erasa opened her eyes in surprise and lowered her eyes in guilt.
Aurora sighed, "I forgive you Erasa because I can understand your feelings but I can't say just yet that our friendship will be as great as it was before" Aurora said.
"I see" Erasa said sadly.
"But I'll try to let it go. It really hurt to hear those words but we're friends and friends forgive each other but I need some time to cool off" Aurora said as she returned to her sword practice.
Erasa smiled, "Thank you Aurora" she said gratefully.
Soon, more students began to walk into the school compound.
"Now I've got to find Shin and apologize to him" Erasa thought as she stood by the school gate waiting for Shin to arrive.
She watched each student pass by but there was no sign of Shin. Soon she saw Kyla approaching. She looked around but there was no sign of Shin or Reis.
"Hi Kyla!" she greeted.
"Oh hi Erasa. How are you?" Kyla greeted back.
"I feel terrible for making a mess of Reis' all you can eat invitation. Where's Shin and Reis?" Erasa asked in concern.
Kyla sighed sadly.
"I'm sure Reis is fine but Shin…I can't tell what's going on in his head lately" Kyla said.
"Why do you say that?" Erasa asked.
"Normally, Shin's always so noisy and energetic. He's always looking for a quarrel and I never fail to wake him up by banging pan lids. He hates school but never wants to miss a day but lately, he's always silent as if he's lost in thought and today, God knows I let all hell loose in their bedroom but Shin didn't even try to wake up. It's almost as if he's running from school" Kyla said worriedly. "Though I might just be overthinking things because they were up talking all night…those boys!" Kyla added with a growl.
Erasa looked worried as well.
"H-Hey Kyla, is Shin angry with me?" Erasa asked.
Kyla smiled.
"Don't worry Erasa, when it comes to you, Shin can never be angry for more than half a day" Kyla said in an attempt to cheer Erasa up.
The bell soon rang for classes to begin and Kyla, Erasa, Darak and Aurora quickly rushed into the class. Erasa sat at her desk recalling the terrible things she had said to Shin the night before. Soon Mistress Kira entered the class.
"Good morning class" she greeted.
"Good morning Mistress Kira" the students greeted in reply.
"We'll start the day with a roll call. When I call your name, reply by saying 'Present'. Okay, so now let's begin. Darak Ignis!" Mistress Kira called.
"Here" Darak said nonchalantly.
Mistress Kira ignored him.
"Aurora Saggeese!"
"Present" Aurora replied.
"Ernest Eghan!"
"Yo!" Evil Eghan greeted joyfully.
"Pius Cudjoe!"
"Present!" Cudjoe replied.
"Benjamin Dossou!"
"Present!" Dossou replied.
"Reis Dragonhaӓrt!" Mistress Kira called but there was no answer. "Reis Dragonhaart!" Mistress Kira called again.
"He is MIA!" the class responded and laughed.
"Mistress Kira noted his name.
"Shin Ayenhayze!" Mistress Kira called.
There was no answer.
"Shin Ayenhayze!" she called again.
"He simply can't be reached!" the class replied and they burst into laughter.
Mistress Kira noted Shin's name down and the roll call continued. As it turned out, Reis and Shin were the only absent students. Meanwhile, in the Ayenhayze residence…
"WHAAAAT?!" Reis screamed in surprise.
Shin woke up.
"What's wrong Reis?" Shin asked.
"L-l-l-look at the time!" Reis exclaimed.
Shin turned to look at the wall clock.
"What?! It's an hour to midday! Reis, do you know what this means?!" Shin exclaimed.
"We're so dead! Mistress Kira's gonna kill us!" Reis exclaimed and the two boys rushed to the bathroom.
"I'm bathing first!" Shin declared as they raced out of the bedroom.
"Like hell you are!" Reis challenged and they continued the race but Shin beat Reis to it.
"I'm first!" Shin declared as he locked Reis outside and turned on the shower.
"Damn! He beat me to it!" Reis sighed in disappointment.
"At least I can brush while he's bathing" Reis said as he began to brush his teeth.
In less than a minute Shin was out of the bathroom.
"I'm done!" he declared.
"Hey, are you sure you bathed well cos your hair's looking kinda shaggy" Reis teased.
"Oh, I wouldn't mind taking some extra time but I'll leave you behind once I'm done!" Shin declared.
"C'mon Shin. I didn't mean it" Reis said as he stepped into the bathroom.
Shin took the chance to brush his teeth. When he was done, he headed to the bedroom but when he opened the bedroom door, Reis was already inside, fully clothed.
"Hiya Shin. Looks like you're behind schedule" Reis teased.
"Why am I not surprised?" Shin rolled his eyes and began to dress in a hurry.
Soon both boys were downstairs. They ate breakfast hurriedly and packed their lunches in their satchels.
"Kyla was really considerate to have prepared lunch for us don't you think so Shin?" Reis asked.
"Yeah, I'm glad I was found by Master Jin. I've been able to experience the joy of having a family thanks to him and Kyla" Shin said gratefully.
"We'd better hurry up or Mistress Kira's not only going to kill us but she'll crush our souls as well" Shin said with a nervous laugh.
Reis looked scared but he tried hard to hide it. Soon the two boys were on their way to school.
Meanwhile in Dragon High, Mistress Kira was teaching the students the importance of poetry.
"Open your literature books to page fifty-nine" she ordered.
The students opened their poetry books.
"Oh no! Not this poem again!" the boys sighed in dismay but the girls were excited.
The poem in question was a romantic poem.
"Mistress Kira, I don't want to be a spoilsport but we've studied this poem for three consecutive weeks and we've already grasped the importance of it. When can we move to comprehension and by that I mean the passage on the next page" Darak spoke on behalf of the boys.
"Does everyone agree with this?" Mistress Kira asked.
"YES!" the boys chorused.
The girls didn't complain because most of them had a crush on Darak. At that moment, Shin and Reis burst into the classroom.
"Goodmorning Mistress Kira. Sorry we're late!" Reis panted wearily.
He was almost out of breath. The two boys had ran the whole way to school and they were sweating profusely.
"Why are you late?" Mistress Kira asked seriously.
Shin took in a deep breath and answered, "We overslept" he said.
Everyone gasped in shock.
"Please forgive us" Reis said with a respectful bow.
Mistress Kira sighed.
"Well, it has never been a habit of yours to be late so I'll let it go this time. Take your seats" Mistress Kira said and the two boys went to their sitting places.
"What have I missed?" Shin asked Kyla.
"Not much but Erasa was worried about you" Kyla informed Shin.
"I don't care. I've put her behind me now. My entire life can't revolve around Erasa" Shin said seriously.
Kyla looked towards Erasa's desk and saw Erasa staring at them.
"Hey Shin, she's looking at you" Kyla whispered.
"I said I don't care!" Shin yelled and the class suddenly became silent.
"Is anything the matter Shin Ayenhayze?" Mistress Kira asked worriedly.
"No ma'am. I'm just not in a good mood" Shin said.
Erasa looked down at her desk.
"Let's continue with the lesson. What passage did you people want us to study again?" Mistress Kira asked.
"FAMILY WAHALA (DILEMMA)!" the boys' voices dominated the class.
"WHAAAT?! FAMILY WAHALA?! FINALLY AFTER SO MANY YEARS?! THIS IS GREAT!" Shin exclaimed in joy.
Mistress Kira smiled.
"Shin is really an interesting person. He has an entire rainbow of emotions. He and Reis are very similar in behavior and…" Mistress Kira opened her eyes in shock as sudden realization struck her.
"How could I not have noticed it before?! Apart from the difference in hair and eye colour, Shin and Reis share a striking resemblance!" Mistress Kira thought as she began to grow pale.
"Are you alright Mistress Kira?" Aurora asked in concern.
She had noticed the expression on Mistress Kira's face. Mistress Kira shook her head and cleared her throat.
"I'm fine. Turn your literature books to page sixty" she commanded and the students obeyed.
"Who will volunteer to read?" Mistress Kira asked.
Dossou raised his hand.
"Yes Dossou, read the passage" Mistress Kira called him.
Dossou stood up and cleared his throat.
"FAMILY WAHALA!" he began to read.
"You think you have family problems? Listen to my situation. A few years ago, I met a young widow with a grown up daughter and we got married. Later my father married my stepdaughter. That made my stepdaughter my stepmother and my father became the stepson. Also my wife became mother in-law of her father in-law. Then the daughter of my wife, my stepmother had a son. The boy was my half-brother because he was my father's son, but he was also the son of my wife's daughter. That made him my wife's grandson. That made me the grandfather of my half-brother.
This was nothing until my wife and I had a son. Now the half-sister of my son, my step-mother is also the grandmother. This makes my father the brother in-law of my child whose stepsister is my father's wife. I'm my stepmother's brother in-law. My wife is her own child's aunt. My son is my father's nephew and I'm my own son's grandfather"
Dossou concluded the passage.
By then, the entire class was caught in the throes of uncontrollable laughter. Even Mistress Kira could not help laughing.
"I must admit that this is a really funny passage" she said.
Reis and Darak were also laughing uncontrollably. Shin was as well.
"It's so senseless and annoying!" Kyla sighed in boredom.
"And that's what makes it so classic!" Shin laughed.
"As funny as it sounds, it does have a deeper meaning so the question is…can you analyze it?" Mistress Kira asked the class.
Aurora raised her hand.
"Yes Aurora" Mistress Kira called.
"I think it's basically saying if you mix up romantic and familial relationships, you could end up with a family disaster" Aurora said.
"Impressive" Mistress Kira appeared impressed by Aurora's analysis.
"Oh so that's it huh?! Aurora's so smart!" everyone in class praised her.
"That was supposed to have a deeper meaning? Somehow I find it hard to believe" Darak muttered in boredom.
"Though it's a funny passage it's actually difficult to comprehend" Shin said.
"It's just plain confusing" Reis agreed.
Suddenly, the bell rang for break.
"Saved by the bell!" Reis exclaimed in joy and relief.
The students began to walk out of the class. Shin decided to go out for fresh air as well. He walked to one of the trees in the school field and stood there rubbing his hands on the rough bark absent-mindedly.
Erasa was watching him from a distance.
"What will I say to him?" she asked herself.
She sighed and began to walk towards Shin. Shin was still lost in thought so he didn't notice her.
"Shin" Erasa called but Shin didn't respond.
"Shin" Erasa called again but Shin ignored her.
He stopped rubbing the tree and began to walk away.
"Shin wait!" Erasa called but he doubled his steps.
Erasa had to trot to catch up.
"Shin please listen to me" Erasa pleaded.
Shin stopped walking.
"I'm just doing what you want Erasa. You were the one who asked me to keep my distance and I'm doing just that so I'm now asking you to do the same and let me have my peace" Shin said.
There was something about the way Shin said it that hurt Erasa very much. Shin continued walking, Erasa stood there sadly.
"Shin doesn't want to have anything to do with me but I must apologize" Erasa said determinedly as she ran after him.
"Shin, please listen to me!" Erasa called but Shin ignored her.
"Leave me alone Erasa!" Shin yelled angrily.
Erasa was surprised by Shin's reaction.
"Shin, I'm sorry, I'm very sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean what I said and you didn't deserve to be treated like that" Erasa apologized.
"Maybe I did. Maybe it was my fault!" Shin said angrily.
"That's not true Shin" Erasa said.
"Then why Erasa? Am I really a nobody to you?" Shin asked sadly.
"No Shin" Erasa said.
"You're lying…and I hate it. It's my fault Erasa. I can forgive you for a lot of things but there is one thing I'll never forgive you for…you forgot me faster than it takes for a puff of smoke to disappear" Shin said.
Erasa opened her eyes in surprise.
Shin turned and walked away. As he was walking, he heard the sound of a heavy drop. He turned around and saw Erasa lying on the ground almost unconscious.
"Erasa!" he called worriedly as he ran to her.
"Are you alright? C'mon Erasa say something!" he called frantically.
Erasa opened her eyes and saw Shin's concerned face and before she had realized it her heart was beating fast and she was blushing shyly.
"Erasa! What's wrong?!" Shin called.
"Shin…did I ever tell you that…you look really handsome when you're worried?" Erasa said with a nervous laugh.
"Forget that! What's wrong with you?!" Shin demanded an answer.
"I just felt dizzy for a while, I'm fine really" Erasa said.
"You haven't eaten since morning have you?" Shin said worriedly.
"How did you know?" Erasa stared at Shin in surprise.
"Here, I'll carry you" Shin said as he lifted Erasa into his arms.
"You can share my lunch but let's find some shade first" Shin said as he carried Erasa towards a cluster of trees.
"Shin's so strong" Erasa admired.
Shin carried her to the shade and placed her down in a sitting position against one of the trees. Then he took out his lunch and placed it on the ground beside Erasa.
"I usually eat with my hands but it seems Kyla packed two disposable spoons today" Shin said as he uncovered the food.
It was plain rice with vegetable sauce.
"I hope you like veggies" Shin said with a laugh.
"Are you strong enough to eat by yourself?" Shin asked Erasa.
Erasa nodded and picked one of the disposable spoons. She fetched some of the rice but dropped her spoon halfway. "I guess not" she said.
"Don't worry, I'll feed you" Shin volunteered.
"Wha…?! Ba-ba-but there are people around. What will they think?" Erasa asked shyly.
"Forget them. I don't want you to die from hunger or are you too embarrassed to be fed by me?" Shin asked.
"No I didn't mean it like that but…" Erasa argued weakly.
"Don't worry" Shin said as he fetched some rice and fed Erasa.
When he had fed her halfway without eating himself she became worried.
"Aren't you going to eat anything?" Erasa asked him.
"I'm okay, I ate a heavy breakfast" Shin said with a kind smile.
Erasa was mesmerized by the kind look in Shin's eyes and for a while she couldn't help but stare at him. Shin noticed this.
"What's wrong Erasa? Is there something on my face?" Shin asked cluelessly.
"Shin, why are you being so nice to me? Just a moment ago I had the impression that you hated me" Erasa said.
"No Erasa, I don't hate you. I can never hate you" Shin said kindly and Erasa's heart began to race again.
"This is your lunch so you've got to eat as well" Erasa struggled to say.
"Okay, but it's not going to be easy feeding you with one hand and eating with the other. Like One used to say, 'you can't look into a bottle with both eyes'" Shin said and Erasa stared at him with her mouth wide open.
"Wh-What did you just say Shin?" Erasa asked in shock.
"Nothing" Shin said as he suddenly realized his mistake.
"You just said…" Erasa was saying but Shin cut her off.
"You must have imagined it. I never said anything. All I said was that it wasn't going to be easy feeding you while feeding myself" Shin lied nervously.
Erasa sighed.
"I must have imagined it" she said.
When they had finished eating, Shin helped Erasa to her feet.
"How do you feel now?" he asked her.
"I feel much better thank you. I'm sorry for treating you badly yesterday" Erasa apologized again.
"Forget about it, it's in the past" Shin assured her.
At that moment the bell rang for classes to resume. Shin made Erasa lean on him while he led her to her seat in the class. When he had helped her sit down, she thanked him. Shin returned to his seat feeling confused.
"I thought I had finally placed her in my past but it seems like that's just impossible for me" Shin admitted to himself.
Mistress Kira soon entered the class. For the rest of the class period, the young Dragon Students studied the Tragic Legend. Reis had a bored look on his face.
"What's wrong Reis? Aren't you enjoying the lesson?" Aurora asked.
"It sounds so boring when we study it into detail like this. It sounds so historical and less legendary" Reis complained.
Aurora giggled.
"It's very ironic to hear that come from someone whose name sounds so similar to Dragonheart" Darak teased.
"The name has nothing to do with it" Reis said as he placed his head on the table and fell asleep.
"Jeez! How can you still feel sleepy when you already overslept?!" Darak accused.
"Let's just say I had a dream battle OW!" Reis exclaimed in pain as he suddenly sat up for Mistress Kira had hit him with a piece of chalk and everyone in the class knew how good her aim was.
"Try to remain awake Dragonhaӓrt or you will find yourself serving detention!" Mistress Kira scolded.
"Sorry ma'am" Reis apologized.
As the classes continued, Reis counted the hours till classes would end and when the bell finally rang, he was so happy that he leapt out of his chair and shouted "OH YEAH!" Everyone stared at him in disbelief and Mistress Kira had to control herself to avoid punishing him severely.
Reis helped Aurora to pack her books.
"Thank you Reis" Aurora said gratefully.
"No prob! Now let me pack mine and then we can get going" Reis said as he packed his books.
"Why do you bring so many books to school?" Darak asked him.
"When my bag is full, I kinda feel complete. Weird huh?" Reis said.
"Very" Darak agreed.
"I will escort you guys. Now that I think about it we've got a lot to talk about" Reis said.
"Okay, it suits me as long as you promise to duel me the moment we get to my residence" Darak said with a cunning smile.
"Honestly Darak, is fighting all you ever think about?" Reis asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Now that I've found someone as strong as I am, yes! I won't stop challenging you till the day there's a clear difference in our abilities!" Darak challenged.
"Fine, I accept your challenge" Reis said.
Shin had also finished packing his books. He walked to Erasa and offered to help her pack hers.
"I can do it myself. Thanks for offering though Shin" Erasa said with a smile.
Soon, she was done.
"I'll walk you home" Shin offered.
Erasa stared at him in surprise.
"Why? You've never offered to do so before" Erasa said curiously.
"I'm worried about you. I don't want you fainting on the way" Shin explained.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me besides, you can't let Kyla go home on her own. It seems like Reis will be going with Aurora and Darak" Erasa said.
Shin sighed.
"I guess you're right. Fine, take care" Shin said as he walked to Kyla.
Reis, Darak and Aurora waited outside for Mistress Kira. When she finally came out, they set off. They walked on for a while in silence.
"Hey Reis, how did you learn swordsmanship?" Darak suddenly asked.
Reis looked puzzled by this question.
"Ah well, how do I say this without being mocked…" Reis thought as he looked around. "Gramps taught me. It was difficult since he used a method called the 'broomstick through a rock'" Reis explained.
"B-B-Broomstick through a rock? Pphhh! Ha ha ha!" Darak burst into laughter.
Aurora too couldn't help but giggle.
"What's that supposed to mean?! You're insane!" Darak teased.
Reis found a single broomstick on the ground and picked it up. Then he picked up a huge stone with one hand.
"I'm not kidding. Gramps kept saying 'learn from the broomstick, though it is light and brittle, it is the greatest adversary of the housefly'. Then he said, 'observe the broom when sweeping. It does not oppose the ground'" Reis narrated and the others laughed at him even more.
"Of course the broomstick is the greatest adversary of the housefly, why won't it be if it takes away the housefly's source of livelihood" Darak laughed while patting Reis on the back.
"That's not what I mean. I did not realize what Gramps meant till I divided a housefly in half one day. It was then that I realized that it was not the hardness of a broom or a sword that gave it its power but rather, it was its flexibility and ability to bend. I'll show you" Reis said as he tossed the stone into the air.
He shut his eyes and calmed his breathing. He could feel his entire body and he could sense the position of the stone. As it landed, he sliced across it with the broomstick. The stone fell to the ground divided smoothly into halves.
Reis opened his eyes.
"See?" he said but they had shocked expressions on their faces.
"WHAAAT?! SINCE WHEN WAS THERE A NATURAL LAW THAT ALLOWED A SINGLE BROOMSTICK TO CUT THROUGH A SOLID STONE!!!" Darak screamed in shock.
Reis smiled cunningly.
"What of you Darak? What method were you trained with?" Reis asked.
"It's a secret. Telling you means betraying my clan" Darak said.
"MEANIE!" Reis accused and Aurora and Mistress Kira laughed.
Soon, they were at Team Kira's residence.
"Before you kids do anything, you should eat. Wait here while I prepare something" Mistress Kira said as she entered the house.
"Reis, let's go to the backyard. There's enough space there to duel" Darak suggested.
"Shouldn't we wait till after we've eaten?" Reis attempted to postpone the duel.
"You really intend to fight after we're full and sluggish?" Darak demanded.
"Not really, fine, let's do this" Reis said with a determined look in his eyes as they walked to the backyard.
Aurora sat on a bench and watched the two boys.
Darak and Reis walked to the opposite ends of the field at the back of the Kira's residence.
"This field is wide enough for a battle to the limits so Reis! I won't forgive you if you hold back. We'll fight as though we intend to kill each other!" Darak declared.
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea because if I decide not to hold back, I really might end up killing you and that is not something to boast about" Reis said worriedly.
"That's just perfect!" Darak said contentedly.
Reis looked at Aurora. She was staring back at him.
"Aurora! Back when you still hated me, you felt I was hiding a secret. I was; but now I want you to know the truth about me. I want you to know everything about me. I'll show you now" Reis said as he made the Dragonhaart Holy Sword stance.
Darak made his fighting stance with his Pyro Blades. Darak flamed his blade. "I guess you're at a disadvantage since you don't have an elemental affinity" Darak teased as he displayed his aura.
"Don't be so sure of that!" Reis declared as his sword began to glow bright gold.
Then he too displayed his aura. It was very huge and rainbow coloured. It kept changing colours without repeating a single colour. Aurora exclaimed in shock.
"Reis…you are…?!" Aurora exclaimed in shock.
"Yes Aurora…I have powers independent of the Dragons. No dragon has yet shared its abilities with me but I have these powers and on top of that…I can utilize any possible element I can think of" Reis said worriedly.
"Reis…" Aurora muttered in shock.
She was dumbfounded. She remained so silent that Reis thought he had done something wrong.
"You sure are full of surprises Dragonhaӓrt or should I say…Dragonheart…but I'm still gonna beat the living daylights outta you! That means you've been holding back on all our previous duels and making me believe I was superior!" Darak roared angrily.
"I'm sorry guys, I meant to tell you earlier but I felt you still had mixed feelings towards me. I only mustered the courage to tell you after Aurora allowed me to sit on Jared's desk" Reis apologized.
"You don't have to apologize Reis. We already suspected something like this when you ran on water, knocked the Kagua-serpentia out with a lightning attack and stood on quicksand" Aurora said with a reassuring smile.
Reis sighed.
"I thought you guys would be angry. I'm glad you're not angry" Reis said with a relieved smile.
"YOU'RE DAMN WRONG IF YOU THINK I'M HAPPY! HOW DARE YOU FOOL ME REIS!!!" Darak roared as he charged towards Reis and leapt into the air.
"D-Darak, C-Calm down" Reis stammered.
"DON'T TRY TO TALK YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS! TAKE THIS! DIABOLIC BISECTING SLASH!" Darak roared as he descended with a powerful vertical slash.
Reis blocked the attack with his sword.
"It seems the only way I can calm you down is to fight you head on!" Reis said with a determined look.
"You've got that right. I want you to fight without holding back!" Darak said with a cunning smile.
Darak pushed harder with the intention of knocking Reis off balance.
"Fine, if you're so eager to get beaten then…" Reis said as he shut his eyes.
Darak smiled. He knew that Reis was drawing out his inner power.
"…I'LL START WITH EARTH ELEMENT!" Reis declared as he suddenly pushed Reis into the air.
"TAKE THIS! BONE SHATTERING KNOCKOUT!" Reis roared as huge rocks from the ground knocked Darak into the air.
Darak somersaulted and landed smoothly on the ground.
"That came as a surprise but is that really all you can do?!" Darak challenged.
He charged towards Reis evading the rest of the rocks.
"TAKE THIS! PYRON SLASH!" Darak roared as his sword began to descend upon Reis.
Reis stared in surprise, it appeared as though he was about to receive a direct hit but just before the sword struck him he smiled, "LIGHTNING ELEMENT!" Reis called out and Darak suddenly found himself flying through the air.
"What just happened?" he wondered.
"ARRRGH!" he suddenly exclaimed in pain and found himself flying vertically.
Suddenly Reis appeared above Darak.
"Had enough?" Reis asked.
"Stop pretending to be concerned you cunning jerk" Darak teased with a content smile.
"I'll hate doing this to you but…" Reis said as he somersaulted in the air.
"CRUSHING HEEL STRIKE!" Reis roared as he kicked Darak on the chest with his heel.
Darak crashed to the ground causing cracks to appear in the process. Reis landed smoothly.
Darak stood up and wiped his bleeding lip.
"I must admit, using lightning element to boost your speed was a very clever move but don't underestimate me. I was the one holding back" Darak said with a cunning smile.
"What do you mean?" Reis asked.
"Look closely at this Pyro Blade. Do you notice anything strange?" Darak asked.
Reis looked closely and opened his eyes in shock.
"IT'S SHEATHED!" Reis exclaimed in shock.
"IT'S WHAT?!" Aurora exclaimed in even more shock.
"Sorry Aurora, Reis wasn't the only one with a secret. I guess I want you guys to see mine too" Darak said with a smile.
"But how is it possible that you've been fighting with a sheathed sword all this while?" Reis exclaimed in surprise.
"You're one to talk after dividing a stone with a broomstick!" Darak accused.
"Okay, I see your point" Reis sighed.
"Besides, this blade is not sheathed, it's been sealed!" Darak declared.
"Sealed?! Why?!" Reis asked.
Darak looked sad for a moment.
"I'm a flame ninja Reis" Darak confessed.
"Y-y-you're a ninja?" Reis stammered.
He was shocked by this revelation.
"This sword is an heirloom of the Ignis clan of ninja. During the Drӓkan War, my ancestors saw the war wrought on humanity by Armageddon and noticed that the war would end with great casualty so each of them gave up their dragon powers except for my direct ancestor. He believed that the dragons would win so he gathered the misplaced energies of the dragons during the creation of the Dragonheart and used them to forge this sword. Its true form is the Dragon Blade. The power of this sword would react only to three things. The first is the blood of his descendants, the second is the power of Dragnarӧk which preserved my family and the third is a strong willed heart. This sword could slay Armageddon completely with a single blow but Alpha, the Dragon Sovereign rejected it. He said, 'Darkness exists within every living being. It is not something to slay but something to tame. By attempting to destroy darkness completely, every living creature would be sacrificed'. My ancestor realized the truth in Alpha's words and sealed this sword. However he left the instructions for unsealing it. He said only one with eyes unclouded by hate could read the instructions.
For this sword, endless wars broke out and the ninja clan was divided. My clan descended into ultimate shadow and made sure that nothing was left of the sword but its legend. My ancestor was shamed, for the power he created to be a salvation became a sign of fear and hatred. We of the direct lineage had to use sheathed swords from then on. The sheath is a symbol of our hidden shame but I believe that my ancestor believed that this sword would one day be given new life. It will bring peace to Ryugaeia. My brother tried to kill me to possess this sword but I stole it and ran away. I joined the Dragon Rangers and obtained Dragnarӧk's power. Now I can prove that this sword is a true weapon of justice!" Darak narrated.
"I understand your feelings Darak. Unseal that sword and we'll take this fight to the next level" Reis promised.
"Next level?" Aurora asked.
The revelations were too shocking for her. Darak smiled.
"I'm glad you're a member of Team Kira Reis. This is the first time I've felt like I can test the limits of my strength" Darak said.
"It's the same for me" Reis said.
"I'm not so sure fighting to the limits is such a good idea guys" Aurora expressed her concern.
"Don't worry Aurora, it's not like we're going to kill each other. We just want to know how far we can go" Darak said.
"But Darak, before you unseal that sword, I have to warn you of something. If you really believe I am the Dragonhaӓrt then unsealing that sword could be disastrous" Reis warned.
"What do you mean?" Darak asked.
"Remember that I have Armageddon's spirit within me. This has two implications and none of them is good. The first is that if your ancestor gathered the misplaced energies of the Dragons then the chances that he gathered Armageddon's energy as well are very high and I don't need to tell you which of the dragons has the greatest amount of energy" Reis warned.
"That could mean…this sword is infused with a critical amount of evil energy!!!" Darak exclaimed in shock.
Aurora looked worried.
Reis nodded grimly.
"I understand. But the second implication can't be worse than that" Darak laughed nervously.
"It's actually far worse" Reis said and Darak looked worried.
"What is it Reis?" Aurora asked.
"Darak, your sword is a slayer of darkness right? That means if you unseal that sword and cannot succeed in controlling its will, you do realize what will happen if the darkness overtakes you and you kill me right?" Reis said with a serious look on his face.
"…?!!!" Darak and Aurora were dumbfounded as the full implication of Reis' words hit them.
"Yes Darak, another extinction will occur but it will not just be a Great Extinction. It will be…THE ULTIMATE EXTINCTION! Dragons, Humans, Kaisers, Animals…they will all die. Can you live with that on your conscience?" Reis asked.
Darak was shivering uncontrollably. He was sweating profusely and he felt like he couldn't breathe.
"I've never seen Darak so afraid" Reis thought.
"Reis…" Darak said as he took a deep breath and calmed down.
"Darak, this sword is a sword of regret but if you wish to tame it, then your will must be strong enough…TO OVERCOME CENTURIES OF REGRET INCLUDING THAT OF THE DRAGONHAӒRT!!!" Reis roared.
"Reis…you overcame Armageddon on your own right?" Darak asked.
Reis shook his head.
"No Darak, I overcame Armageddon because of the love and faith you all had in me but it took a lot of courage because you see Darak…the darkness is not just Armageddon, it's you as well" Reis said.
Darak opened his eyes in surprise.
"Then I must not unseal the sword" Darak said sadly.
"On the contrary Darak…I think you should unseal it" Reis declared.
"WHAT?! ARE YOU CRAZY REIS?!" Aurora yelled angrily.
"Choosing not to unseal it is the same as running from the darkness. No matter how far you run, the darkness will eventually catch you unprepared. Facing it will bring the best result. I'm saying this Darak because even if you choose not to unseal it now, it will eventually fall into the wrong hands, then your clan will bear the shame and responsibility of causing the total destruction of all life. Do not be afraid Darak, you have me and Aurora and everyone else. We all believe in you" Reis said.
"Hmmph! You're such a conceited hypocrite" Darak said with a sly smile.
"I see you've regained your senses" Reis said.
"I'll unseal the sword but before that you must promise me that if I lose control, you will take me down" Darak said seriously.
Aurora gasped in shock.
"I will promise one thing Darak and that is…I won't let that happen!" Reis promised.
Darak smiled.
Darak held the blade of the sword in his other hand and slowly cut his palm. He squeezed his fist over the blade and his blood ran over it.
"With my blood as a descendant of Pyron Ignis…" Darak said, then he covered the blade with flames.
"And with the flames of Dragnarӧk…I command you to heed my call. AWAKEN DRAGON BLADE OF IGNIS!" Darak commanded and the blade of the sword shattered.
The shattered pieces fell to the ground and turned to dust. Only the handle of the sword remained.
"Wha…?! What's this supposed to mean?!" Darak exclaimed in shock.
Suddenly, a huge beam of energy burst from the sword. An intense blade of fire began to form and a powerful wind began to blow the area. Darak stared at the blade of fire in awe as it became so concentrated that it became as solid as metal. The edges of the blade were wicked looking spikes that could slice off a person's head with a single touch.
"It's amazing!" Darak exclaimed in joy but suddenly, dark flames began to escape from the sword.
A dark sinister laugh could be heard as the flames flew into the sky and took the form of Armageddon's head!
"HAHAHAHA! I could not have wished for a better outcome. Now all I have to do is slay Reis Dragonhaart and all life on Ryugaeia will be vanquished!" Armageddon said in a sinister voice.
His eyes were flaring.
"Why would you want that?!" Reis asked.
"What better way to make God suffer than to destroy his precious creation?!" Armageddon laughed.
"But if you do that…you'll destroy yourself as well!" Reis yelled.
"You sorely underestimate me Dragonhaӓrt. This sword can never slay me…but…IT CAN SLAY YOU!!!" Armageddon roared as he charged towards Darak.
"DARAK! WATCH OUT!" Reis called but Darak was too slow.
Armageddon hit him with full force and entered Darak. The force knocked Darak into the air but Darak somersaulted and landed on the ground. He was breathing hoarsely and his eyes were closed.
"Darak! Are you alright!" Reis and Aurora called.
Darak's fist tightened around the handle of the sword. He opened his eyes. They were flaming red.
"I MUST KILL REIS DRAGONHAART!" he roared in a vicious rage!